Cassie Ekstrom

Class:
Junior
High School:
Newtown
Hometown:
Sandy Hook, Conn.

2018 IWLCA Second Team All-American
2018 IWLCA All-Northeast Region First Team
2018 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
2018 All-BIG EAST First Team
2017 IWLCA All-Northeast Region Second Team
2016 IWLCA All-Northeast Region Second Team
2016 All-BIG EAST Second Team

AS A SENIOR (2018): Tabbed an IWLCA Second Team All-American ... earned IWLCA All-Northeast Region First Team honors ... BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year … All-BIG EAST First Team selection … started all 17 games for the Huskies … led the team with a career-high 47 ground balls and 37 caused turnovers … ranked second in the BIG EAST and 11th in the NCAA with 2.18 caused turnovers per game … her 2.76 ground balls per game are a fifth best in the league … collected a career-best 28 draws … picked up a season- and team-high seven ground balls against Cincinnati (Apr. 13) … won a career-high six draws at No. 23 Georgetown (Apr. 28) … forced at least one turnover in 13 of the 17 games played … leader of the defense who’s 11.12 caused turnovers ranked 11th in the nation and who’s 21.24 ground balls per game ranked 12th in Division I … served as one of the team’s captains.

AS A JUNIOR (2017): IWLCA All-Northeast Region Second Team Selection ... one of four Huskies to start all 16 games … led the team in ground balls (40) and caused turnovers (25) … fourth in the conference averaging 2.50 ground balls per game … among the top-10 in the BIG EAST in caused turners per game (1.60) … collected 12 draw controls … collected a career-high eight ground balls at Cincinnati (April 25) to rank sixth in the record book for ground balls in a single game … matched a career-high in caused turnovers with four against Marquette (April 12) and Temple (April 29).

AS A SOPHOMORE (2016): IWLCA All-Northeast Region Second Team…took home All-Big East Second Team honors as a sophomore…started in all 17 games and led the team in caused turnovers…had one draw control and two caused turnovers in the 21-0 shutout against Quinnipiac (Feb. 17)…picked up three ground balls, one draw control, two caused turnovers against JMU (Feb. 21)…grabbed four ground balls, one draw control and two caused turnovers at UNH (Feb. 27)…caused three turnovers at Rutgers (March 5)…nabbed seven ground balls and three caused turnovers at William and Mary (March 16)…had four ground balls and three caused turnovers against Villanova (March 26)…earned four ground balls and four caused turnovers at Marquette (April 9)…recorded two ground balls and three caused turnovers against Georgetown (April 20)…caused two turnovers and grabbed three ground balls at Towson (May 1)…had two ground balls and one caused turnover against Temple in the Big East semifinals (May 5).

AS A FRESHMAN (2015): Appeared in all 18 games, making 10 starts... Started each of the last eight games for the Huskies... Her 23 caused turnovers ranked second on the team and first among freshmen... Was one of three Huskies to finish the season with at least 30 ground balls... Played a key role for a Connecticut defense that ranked fourth in caused turnovers per match and 18^th in ground balls a game among Division I schools.

BEFORE UCONN: Earned All-America honors her junior and senior year at Newtown High School, where she played at all four years... Was a team captain her senior season and was named the Team MVP as a sophomore and junior... Named as an All-South West Conference (SWC) First Team selection in each of her final three seasons at Newtown and received All-State First Team honors as a sophomore... Helped her team win the SMW Championship every year throughout her high school career... Played four years of basketball and volleyball, taking home the Team MVP award for both sports... Was a member of the SWC All-Academic Team each season for all her sports and was tabbed as an Academic All-American her senior year for lacrosse... Member of the National Honor Society.

PERSONAL: Cassie M. Ekstrom... Daughter of Charlie and Marie Ekstrom... Has two brothers, Tyler (23) and Austin (20), and two sisters, Alison (27) and Alexa (10)... Born April, 12, 1996.